OverviewRetail and wholesale performance for Fissman has excelled since its foundation 4 years ago, making it one of the Russian leaders in glassware and household item sales. Fissman’s priority is increasing its branded products’ awareness all over Russia. The company has 162 retail outlets that span Russia and warehouses that cover 12,000 square kilometers. With these resources Fissman can maintain competitive prices and maximize operational logistics. It collaborates with the leading international retail chains, such as Metro, Auchan, Selgros, Hyperglobus and Media Markt, which all help increase Fissman’s product turnover.

The ChallengeWarehouse operations at the company had always been carried out on paper. Storage locations were not indicated, causing numerous errors in order pick-up and product re-sorting. The company had to depend on the expert skills of its personnel, leading to high logistics and payroll costs with inconsistent results. Several goods had to be written off because they were lost or not counted during inventory and fines were issued by Fissman’s partners due to late or incorrect deliveries. These issues and the increasing turnover rate in its distribution centers led Fissman to adopt bar coding technology automation to help boost efficiency.

The SolutionThe company opted for an automation system with mobile computers that would satisfy security requirements, support the existing warehouse wireless network, guarantee snappy reading of various bar code symbologies and assure battery duration for complete work shifts. The automation system would have to be integrated into the customer's warehouse system based on 1C SW, supporting dynamic storage and group package operations.

To achieve its objectives, Fissman worked with Datalogic partner, Skanport, which has been successfully implementing retail automation systems in Russia for over 10 years. Skanport recommended the Falcon™ X3 mobile computer for warehouse operations, as it fully complies to all Fissman’s requirements. Its high protection class, durability, ruggedness and fast battery changing feature particularly interested the company. During the testing phase, the Falcon X3 mobile computer also stood out for its reliable performance with the company wireless network. Warehouse operators enjoyed handling the device because it was easy to use and comfortable in the hand, without tiring, even after hours of operation.

Fissman divides its warehouse into several zones and labels the storage cells on every shelf with bar codes. When merchandise arrives at the receiving dock, the bar codes on the boxes are read and the boxes are placed in the storage cells indicated by the system or in cells chosen by the operator, who then confirms all actions taken by scanning the bar codes on the storage cells. This enables the company to receive complete “goods storage” reports after initial inventory procedures are performed. Fissman also uses this information to create the most efficient routes for workers in the warehouse and to perform random inventory operations when necessary.

After orders have been received and confirmed, they arrive at the warehouse in real-time. The automation system distributes the pick-up tasks among the operators, who retrieve the products from their storage cells. This activity does not require any specific knowledge about the goods’ characteristics, nor visual identification of the products. The operator simply receives the storage cell number of the ordered item, as well as the item number and its quantity. The appropriate action is performed and confirmed by scanning the corresponding bar code with the Falcon X3 mobile computer. The mobile computer then transmits the information in order for it to be stored in the accounting system. This data helps create warehouse performance reports and implement personnel motivation programs. To make sure the information in the accounting system is accurate, the warehouse manager can plan random inventory checks of the cells in any area of the warehouse at any time.

The ResultsThe implementation of the Falcon X3 mobile computer in the automation system at Fissman has significantly optimized warehouse operations and increased transparency. Operators register stock with 100% accuracy and can trace their actions. Each action is registered in the system in real-time, allowing operators to track ongoing work in the warehouse at any time during the work day. This helps solve problems that may occur during goods delivery to customers. Everyone at Fissman is very happy with this solution.

"The automation system in our warehouse provides a comprehensive approach to enhancing customer care and achieving excellent all-around results,” indicated Fissman CEO, Smolov Sergey. “Optimized product placement and increased order pick-up speed are just a few of the improvements we have noticed since the implementation of this automation project using the Falcon X3 mobile computer. In the future, we will definitely roll out this solution in other warehouses."